Supreme Court urged to finalize gay-marriage ruling

OPPONENTS SEEK DELAY UNTIL NOV.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown urged the California Supreme Court on Thursday to finalize its ruling legalizing gay marriage, opposing efforts by foes of same-sex marriage to freeze the decision until after a possible vote in November.

"It is time for these proceedings to end," state lawyers wrote in a 33-page brief opposing a stay of the Supreme Court's historic ruling earlier this month.

Brown's office filed the arguments in response to a request last week from gay-marriage opponents for the Supreme Court to stay its ruling, which declared California's ban on same-sex weddings unconstitutional. Conservative groups argued that the Supreme Court should put the ruling on hold until at least November, when voters are likely to consider a ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to again outlaw same-sex marriage.

The groups maintain that the Supreme Court should postpone the ruling to avoid legal chaos around the state as gay couples capitalize on their newfound right to marry and obtain marriage licenses in the coming months. The Supreme Court's ruling becomes final in mid-June, although gay marriages could still be delayed by the continued legal wrangling over the stay request.

Brown's position is significant because the state had defended the gay-marriage ban during a four-year legal battle, arguing that California's strong domestic-partnership laws provided equal benefits to same-sex couples.

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The Supreme Court rejected that argument.

The attorney general's brief said the Supreme Court's ruling should go into effect "without delay." Civil rights groups and San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera also have opposed the stay request.